Kibirizi Port in Tanzania's Kigoma Region is experiencing a surge in cargo volumes following a major refurbishment, as trade between Tanzania and neighboring countries DR Congo, Burundi, and Zambia continues to grow.
The terminal, situated approximately 20 kilometers from the main Kigoma Port, handled 103,188 metric tonnes of cargo in the 2021/2022 financial year, exceeding the target by 193 percent.
The terminal also served 57,485 passengers during the same period, almost five times the target.
Kibirizi is the second largest port in the region after Kigoma Port, which is a general cargo terminal, with Ujiji being the other port. Kibirizi is a popular passenger terminal, ferrying petty traders and other travelers across Lake Tanganyika to neighboring destinations.
The Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) is striving to attract more cargo and customers to the port, and has been campaigning, including visiting potential customers to use the cost-effective Central Corridor.
The TPA is also working to complete the ongoing Kibirizi renovation project to enable the port to use modern cargo handling equipment. Despite the success of Kibirizi, the TPA is facing challenges from unofficial ports along Lake Tanganyika.
The government has committed to developing the port sector and tapping into the expanding regional market, as demonstrated by President Samia Suluhu Hassan's foundation stone-laying for the completion of Kibirizi Port and other port projects in Kigoma in October 2022.